


Kingdom Hearts: To My Dearly Beloved

by TCOOKIES777



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Implied Relationships, Implied Romance, Implied Sexual Content, Xemnas seeks another heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 08:55:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15968987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TCOOKIES777/pseuds/TCOOKIES777
Summary: It ached where his heart should have been. An ache for the smell of the ocean and... someone. In his Chamber of Repose, Xemnas awaits for the return of an old friend. It is when he is thinking of her that something miraculous happens to the keyblade armor he has kept well guarded for years. And the scent of the ocean suddenly hits him, filling his aching emptiness.Chapter 2 will be M-rated and is basically the same chapter but with a lemon included as an alternate ending.





	Kingdom Hearts: To My Dearly Beloved

A camera at the very corner started rotating its view away from the doorway until a cloaked man entered its peripheral vision. Turning towards the intruder, the camera zoomed in for identification only to be able to deem the being as " _ Unknown"  _ right before the figure waved its hand to take down the camera.

The disc that Xemnas inserted into the control panel slid effortlessly into the panel's disc drive. While the screen read,  _ Now Loading, _ he waited almost impatiently for it to finish reading the disc's files. A sense of insecurity quietly built in his chest with every microsecond that ticked by. The moment the screen showed a blank space, he leaned in to type the password:  _ ANOTHER _ .

Of course, he had purposefully shut down the cameras of this room so that nobody, not even Saix or that nosy Xigbar, could find out any more of what he did in his free time. Still, that did not stop him from closing in on the screen to shield what he typed from any monitors or unwelcomed spies. The members of Organization XIII could care less for the wellbeing of each other. However, that didn't mean they were not interested of each other's affairs. Especially Xigbar. While Xemnas knew that the man was trustworthy of carrying out his duties, he did not necessarily trust the sharpshooter with anything else.

Five more blank spaces appeared on the screen and he filled each space with a different password as well. His gloved hands flew across the keys with an almost hurried pace. It was the only indication of the eagerness he struggled to withhold, even by his lonesome. The unusual amount of security placed had raised, not necessarily suspicion, but curiosity among his subordinates. They never dared to question him though. A smart move on their part.

_ System Start. _

The door opposite of where he had entered slid open for him as it had done countless times since the start of his stay in this grand castle that was the Organization's headquarters. He passed through the newly opened door without pause, striding down the few steps that would lead to a secret floor panel which opened to become a ramp, guiding him further down his destination. The panel shifted close and the ramp disappeared as he continued striding down a spiraling pathway. Each footfall came one after another in an even stride. It was dimly lit in such an open space, and his footsteps echoed loudly against the solid slope, but it was a comfort to know that only he had access to this special place of his. A place he constructed specifically for his own purposes: The Chamber of Repose.

Minutes only passed by but it almost felt like forever with what awaited him beyond. Once Xemnas stepped off the ramp, he came upon a door that opened at his presence. He continued down a hallway of cells that sealed other secrets he could not bother to share with his subordinates, for they were treasured secrets of the past. Secrets that belonged to the man he was the shadow of…

Xehanort?

No, someone else. A young man who had been a street commoner as a child until he was taken in by… who? Flashes of a deep blue color painted the image of a certain girl about his age. Eyes that were brighter than the sky when she looked at him.

 

" _ My name is…." A little girl grinned at him, holding out her tiny hand. She had a tooth missing and her remaining baby fat clung to her cheeks, arms and legs. "What's yours?" _

" _ Terra." He replied with a mix of shyness and caution. His hand was dirty when he grabbed hers but she didn't seem to mind his disheveled state versus her pristine cleanliness. _

_ Even then, he could feel how smooth her chubby hand was in comparison to how rough his palms were from scrounging scraps off the streets. _

" _ Terra." She repeated, making the 'rah' of his name sound more like 'wah' and he somehow found it amusing instead of annoying. _

_ When he didn't make another move, she glanced between them and said, "You shake it, silly!" _

_ She caught him off guard when she started moving their joined hands up and down in demonstration. At first, he didn't understand it, but when he did he started following her lead as well. His strength was greater than hers, even though they were only about a year apart. So, when he started shaking their hands with his own strength, her entire body rocked back and forth with his motions. The girl's eyes widened and, for a second, he thought he was hurting her until her face split into a toothless grin. A few giggles escaped her mouth and then suddenly they both broke out into laughter. _

_ When they finally did let go of each other, Terra almost expected the girl to wipe the grime from her hand onto the white, knee-length dress she wore. He was ready to break out in embarrassment but, when she simply continued smiling at him, the grin on his face grew even wider. _

" _ Hey!" She bounced giddily on the balls of her feet like she had the best idea in the world, "Wanna be my friend?" _

 

Xemnas had spent countless hours sitting in the chamber, piecing together what he could remember and what he knew. Not of Xehanort, no, he remembered everything about him. What he wanted was the memories of the other man. This man who had been close friends with this blue-haired girl. The memories mostly involved her, if not all the time.

 

" _... You ok?" A thirteen-year-old Terra walked into his friend's room after knocking. Before him, Aqua laid curled on her side with her back facing him. His voice cracked and he winced as he said, "Master said you weren't feeling well but that I should leave you to yourself. Why in Kingdom Hearts would I want to do that?" _

_ He only received a pained moan in response and his brows drew together out of concern. "What's wrong?" _

" _ Nothing, my tummy just hurts…" Aqua replied, still not facing him. _

" _ Did you have a nightmare last night?" Terra asked, leaning over the edge of her bed to try and get a look at his ill friend. "Do you want me to hold you?" _

_ When they were younger, up until a year ago, the two of them would visit each other in the middle of the night if they had a nightmare and they would sleep curled up together. Aqua had liked it whenever Terra held her because she claimed his warmth chased the cold darkness away. For him, it was her smell of the ocean that soothed the raging darkness gnawing at his mind occasionally. _

" _ If you don't mind…" She said meekly and a hard shudder from her had him climbing atop of the bed to wrap his toned arms around her. No other blanket could ever make her feel as secure and safe as she did in Terra’s embrace. _

_ Smiling softly, Terra buried his nose in her short hair, breathing in the sweet, sea-salt scent. _

" _ Terra…" Aqua squirmed slightly in his arms, finally she twisted around to say, "Terra, you're squeezing me…." _

_ They stared wide-eyed at each other, noses grazing together. A soft breath fanned his cheek just before the two of them stopped breathing altogether. Terra had never been at such close proximity with her before but… how could he have never noticed just how pretty she was? _

 

Lips of soft petals and a scent of the cool, ocean breeze. It would have taken him years to separate the memories of Xehanort from the memories of the other man, had it not been for this girl. If he received a memory of her smiling at him, he would know immediately that it was a memory of the other man.

Who was she?

The last door at the very end of the hallway opened, and he entered the Chamber of Repose. The moment he trekked through, the doors slammed shut, but he paid no heed as he grasped the back of the ivory throne and stepped around it to sit down. The room lit up at his touch, illuminating the modest-sized chamber with its holographic chains running down the walls and across the floor. A breath of ease was released and, taking off his hood finally, Xemnas said aloud, "Hello…  _ friend _ ."

His deep, husky voice bounced off the closed walls while the holographic chains around the chamber glowed with a flickering light. Opposite of where he sat, rested the pieces of a keyblade armor with its partner keyblade. The keyblade was thin with a dull, metallic blue color. Its head was roughly diamond-shaped though the left corner was absent. The teeth were made up of four spikes outlining the outer edge. A smooth, black handle and a predominantly white guard that did not fully connect to the blade. Its keychain was a small water droplet linked by teardrop-shaped chains.

 

" _ Why is your magic so much stronger than mine?" _

" _ I don't know." The girl shrugged, studying her keyblade under the light of the afternoon sun. "I just think about what I care most." _

" _ What's that?" Terra asked. _

" _ You and me." She answered with a small smile. "Maybe it's the bonds of our friendship taking form as magic." _

 

The armor was decorated in various shades of a deep silver, black, grey, and a metallic blue. He arranged it to give the illusion of a person sleeping on the floor, though the armor was empty of an owner. It obviously had belonged to a young woman since the silver breastplate was designed for a more feminine figure, including an upside-down crescent moon on its front, and the thigh pieces were more shapely. The helmet bore two prongs wrapped around either side, angled diagonally down. Yet, the helmet's visor faced him with an empty, endless stare, void of any life. He had heard of keyblade wielders being granted special armor to protect them from the darkness, much like how the black coats of the Organization worked as well. Surely, this armor must be vital to such a keyblade wielder. Then where could she be?

He had the memories of when his other self had awakened in a place called "Radiant Garden" and it was reported that he had been found unconscious beside the armor and keyblade. Its owner was nowhere to be found.

He wondered, every time he visited and studied its form, what did the woman's face look like? All he could see was flashes of blue—so much blue… and a kind, loving smile. His friend. This mysterious woman. He wanted her.

He wanted to wrap his hands around her graceful neck—and ask why she had left him—just as badly as he wanted to hold her beautiful face in his hands. Beautiful. Yes, she was beautiful. That, he knew, although he could not remember her face entirely. But what was her damn name? He wanted to remember her. Her touches, her voice as she spoke his name—no, the other man's name. The man whose face he wore.

Blue, and more blue.

Azure, cerulean, cyan, turquoise, navy, sapphire, indigo, cobalt, and… blue.

"What is your name?" He asked aloud, despite not expecting any response in return. Sometimes, however, he swore he could hear a woman's voice reply to him. He could almost feel her soft whispers brush against his ear, and he wondered if it was the wind playing tricks on him, though it was impossible for there to be any breeze in this sealed room. So how could it explain the smell of sea, tinged with salt?—a scent that he could smell most strongly when close to the discarded armor and keyblade.

"Soon… you and I shall be reunited." The hand on the throne's armchair tightened into an impatient fist. "And I will never let you go, ever again. You will be mine, along with that boy."

A boy whom he remembered from early memories as well.

 

" _ Terra!" A young woman ran up to him and he tried to suppress the blush from rising to his face as he caught sight of the excited grin that lit up her eyes. _

" _ What's got you in a hurry?" He joked, hands on his hips while he waited for his friend to catch her breath. _

" _ He's finally here! Come meet him!" She grabbed his arm, corded with muscle, and began tugging on him. With her strength alone, she couldn't have moved him if he hadn't decided to play along. _

" _ Who's here? He asked, eyeing the way how her hand was so close to his. _

" _ The new apprentice!" _

 

"Our efforts to find him have been fruitless. Castle Oblivion was made to drive those unwelcome… lost. The Organization has yet to find this Chamber of Waking, but soon enough… Wait for me, friend. One day, you will be back with me before you know it. And we will never be apart."

He had just finished murmuring that promise before he noticed the armor and keyblade start glowing with a faint light. He leaned forward at the sight of the armor glowing brighter until the light became so intense that he had to shield his face with the sleeve of his black coat. Once the flash of light had disappeared, he lowered his arm, only to be taken aback at the sight of the young woman who had taken the place of the armor and keyblade, lying in the exact position the armor had been arranged in.

The cool scent of the ocean hit him the moment he registered the fact that this unidentified woman had… blue hair. Something within his chest squeezed.

"Mmm…" She groaned, and Xemnas, not wanting to frighten this creature, remained in his chair and stayed silent, observing. He noted the pink straps, held by a silver badge, crisscrossed across her chest over a navy halter top. His yellow eyes trailed down the length of her slim form, taking in the black corset wrapped around her middle, followed by the black shorts fit snug to the curve of her hips. White bell-sleeves and tan, fingerless gloves partially covered her arms and hands. Black stockings reached halfway up her shapely thighs, leaving a moderate strip of skin so porcelain and translucent that his hands itched to touch her softness—and see how colorful her blood would look on her.

Her head slowly lifted off the floor as consciousness came back to her. He saw how her azure eyes blinked sleepily, still not focusing on him, while she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Azure eyes.

He quietly sucked in a breath as she finally focused those eyes on him. Molten gold clashed against sea blue.

Blue….

Azure, cerulean, cyan, turquoise, navy, sapphire, indigo, cobalt, and…  _ Aqua _ .

Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua. Aqua.

"T-Ter… ra?"

Her voice silenced his chaotic mind with that one word. Soft-spoken and silvery, just as he had always imagined her to sound like. Second-hand memories did not do her justice. Her voice was lilting and sing-song like—so gentle as if she breathed love itself.

Keeping her eyes trained on him, she stood up on slender legs. A sense of hesitance seemed to slow down her movements. His eyes flickered to her slim neck which bobbed with a hard swallow before he heard her speak again. "Terra."

That was not his name, Xemnas wanted to say. No, that was the name of the other man. Indeed, Xemnas wore this Terra's body and possessed his looks but not without slight differences. Instead of deep blue eyes, his were a dark yellow. Dirt brown hair had faded out to silvery white strands that ended to his chest. He was taller too, and his muscles were thicker. He was a full-grown man now and not the late teen she had last remembered him as. If Xemnas stood beside her, surely he would dwarf her in size. The fear of frightening her away forced his mouth shut, however. He did not move to touch her either—though he yearned to grab her and pull her to him—for he thought that if he did then she would fade away in his grasp. What if she was simply an apparition?

"Terra!" She ran forward, eating up the distance between them in two or three steps before suddenly launching herself. Xemnas quickly stood up in response. While he instinctively thought to bring out one of his blades for defense, he found his hands automatically rising to catch the woman in his arms.

Her legs wrapped around his waist while lean arms hooked onto his neck. Xemnas stumbled backwards with surprise, almost falling back into the throne behind him. He felt a hand gently cup the back of his head, fingers mildly burrowing through the white spikes of his hair. His body remained rigid in reaction to the woman—Aqua—pressing her cool cheek against the side of his own face. Her skin had a refreshing coolness that soothed the raging heat within him. To her, he must have reeked of icy darkness while she—his nose leaned into her neck for a deep whiff—left traces of a warm, dying sunlight, like the last rays of a sunset.

Without thinking, one gloved hand came up to grasp the underside of her thigh while the other rested against her back to support her weight. It was then that Xemnas realized nothing covered her skin there, leaving her flesh bare to his touches. Curse his gloves. He couldn't remember the last time he had touched another person's bare skin like this—or if he ever even had. It made him wonder how delicate her flesh was. What it would take to leave his imprints on that porcelain surface.

So vulnerable.

He could cut her down right here, paint the walls with her blood and tear her heart straight out of her chest. What would her beautiful face look like if he did so? No, Xemnas wanted to hear her call his name first. Scream it.

Not the name of that other man--but his own name.

He craved to have this precious bluebird sing out that six-letter word and let it be the last thing that ever left those plush lips.

He wanted to hear her cry out for him as his blade pierced her body and stole her heart because she was so pure and beautiful. She was filled with so much light while he was of darkness—darkness that he wanted to fill her with instead. Although, it did delight him to hold something so pure and fragile. Wait, not delight, for he was not capable of feeling such emotions. Xemnas did not know happiness, sadness, anger, or love. He could only desire, and what he desired was her; her body and heart. She would be his, as would the boy.

Xemnas  _ had _ to have her.

And when he realized this, he found himself perturbed to crave something so strongly as much as he sought to obtain Kingdom Hearts. All the more reason to possess what could make him feel this way. To possess her.

"Terra…" She breathed out desperation, hope, and… something else. Something he could not place without having a heart.

Finally, he spoke with that deep, husky voice of his, "My name is Xemnas."

“What?" Aqua pulled back slightly, keeping her body hugged to his, and her cerulean eyes flickered side to side, searching his and studying his face. Indeed, he looked like Terra, despite the discrepancies, albeit older. "No… no, the Terra I know is… he's somewhere in you…."

He watched as Aqua leaned her forehead against the bulk of his chest and he briefly wondered if she knew he had no heartbeat.

"Listen, I… I don't have much time left." She began speaking fast, breathlessly, as she craned her neck up to look at him. Their faces were so close together, and he swore he could literally feel the soft, quick  _ thump _ s of her heart beating wildly in her chest. If he had a heart, would his be beating just as fast? "I-I'm not sure how I'm here but my wayfinder… I asked to see you again and I… I think it brought me here… to you, Terra."

Wayfinder?

" _ Sometimes, you can be such a girl." He said with affection, eyes crinkling in appreciation. _

A memory of something orange and star-shaped flashed in his mind before the thought disappeared.

"You are mistaken." Xemnas said, but he had yet to put her down. "Say what you will, but this Terra you speak of is not me."

"It's you, I know it is!" She spoke so desperately he almost thought he could pity her. "My heart tells me so!"

"Then you are blinded by your own light." Xemnas said vehemently, tightening his grip on her thigh. He was sure his hand would leave a bruise on that porcelain skin of hers; his lips curled up at such a thought.

"Terra, it's  _ me _ … Don't you recognize me...?" The woman peered up at him with a trying smile that made her lips tremble. "Hey… say my name… Say my name… Terra…"

"I am Xemnas; Xehanort's nobody. I wear your friend's body but possess no heart."

"No… heart?" Aqua repeated, brows furrowing in confusion. One hand fell from his neck to lay itself against his chest to feel the proof. The black coat he wore was barely a physical barrier separating her skin from his.

Her eyes widened at the heavy truth of his words. Before she could unwrap herself from him, Xemnas turned around and set her down on the throne he had occupied so many times, conversing with the ghost of her. His hands gripped the armchairs and he closed in, caging her against the throne with his own body. Aqua's eyes remained wide even as he leaned his face close to hers, their noses nearly touching as he smirked. "I told you; the man you once knew is gone forever. I am Xemnas…"

"Xemnas…" She spoke softly, still processing his words.

A pleased smile curled one side of his mouth at the sound of his own name rolling off her lips. She made the ' _ sss' _ at the end sound so gentle and melodic like a dull lull fading into the background.

"Does it trouble you that I wear the face of your dear friend?" He quickly sorted through the shards of memories he possessed of Terra, analyzing the moments the man must have felt being with this friend of his. He paused, and a cruel grin overtook his face. "Did you love him?"

He had an intimate knowledge of the darkness of Terra and he was aware of the special love Terra had harbored for his childhood friend—a love he did not share with the other boy, for it transcended beyond that of the bonds of friendship.

That last question had been unintentional but he wasn't sure how to act around her. She was so familiar and, at the same time, unfamiliar. This woman was like an unknown factor in his calculations and it bothered him greatly. How could he have ever foreseen himself having a moment like this?

"Yes." The answer threw him off guard. He did not expect her to respond to his mockery with such confidence.

"I did—no, I  _ do _ love him." Aqua did not back down from his unrelenting gaze. If anything, the light in her eyes seemed to burn brighter with an endearing passion… directed to him. Before he could sneer back a retort, his body stiffened once more as she touched her hand over where his heart should have been beating. "That's why I know he still lives on… here."

It burned where she touched him and Xemnas instinctively yearned to press himself against her more.

Her eyes seemed to plead with him as she spoke. "I know you're somewhere in there, Terra. It's okay if you don't remember me… because I'll remember for the both of us. But I… I don't know if I'll ever see you again… you or Ven."

The smirk dropped off his face at the sight of the tears welling up in her eyes. The pressure within his chest tightened with discomfort. Do not cry! He wanted to snarl. Somehow, he felt that it pained him to see her cry.

"I wanted to tell you." Aqua breathlessly laughed through the tears falling down her cheeks. "I've wanted to tell you for so long… I can't even remember how it started but I had planned to tell you once we both passed our Mark of Mastery exams. You… you look older now… I wonder how many years have passed on without me? In the Realm of Darkness… I'm losing it, Terra. I don't know… how much longer I can last."

Xemnas stayed silent and still, quietly studying her and listening to her every word. The Realm of Darkness? How could such a pure being of light have survived in there?

"So I wanted to tell you because I don't know if I'll ever get another chance…" Aqua smiled through the tears as she reached a hand up to cup his tan cheek. He wasn't sure why he did nothing but lean into her touch slightly. The small tips of her fingers felt so light, slightly ticklish, as they danced across the hot skin of his cheek. Slowly, so slowly he almost didn't notice, his body gravitated closer to her, their faces leaning in together so that when she whispered, her breath brushed his face with a caressing heat. "I've always loved you."

When her lips gently touched his, Xemnas never thought there could be anything so soft and sweet in any of the worlds out there. His hot lips melded against her own tender, plump ones and he had never felt so possessive in his life. Unlike her, this could not be love he was feeling. Without a heart, it was impossible. Yes, this had to be feelings of possession; he wanted to own her body and heart. Own her name, her voice, her love for him—no, not him, Terra. He wanted to brand her as his.

He pressed his lips insistently against hers, grasping the back of her head and roughly tugging the blue strands of her hair to tilt her face back for a better angle. He breathed into the kiss, feeling her hands tighten onto the fabric of his black coat. Her lips were incredibly soft and pliable but her taste was… exquisite. Refreshing like the cool mist of the ocean breeze and sweet like crisp water. A soothing balm to the raging heat underneath his black clothing and he strangely felt the urge to unzip his coat. His gloved hand started wandering down her back to possessively stroke the bare flesh there. The straps bothered him and he absentmindedly thought to rip them off her. He would have done so too, had he not felt her body start to tense under him. She gripped his cloak tighter and he began to hear her mewl for air.

No, Xemnas refused to let her go. He would have her locked away in this room forever for him. Aqua was his and he loved—no,  _ owned _ her. She was his bluebird to keep.

His tongue slipped out to get a more intimate taste of her, steal what she still kept from him, but then her hand pressed against his chest in the attempt to push him away. It was almost endearing; with her strength and size, she couldn't even budge him. Instead, she tore her face away till her head knocked against the back of the throne. Heavy pants escaped her mouth, bosom heaving as she gulped in fresh air, cheeks flushed rosy red from the act of intimacy. Xemnas could feel the puffs of her breath fan his own aching lips and he frowned at the abrupt loss of contact.

_ Submit _ , he thought to himself whilst observing how her dazed eyes glimmered with fresh tears. Licking the corner of his mouth, he impatiently waited for Aqua to finish catching her breath. There was a strange sensation burning in the pit of his belly. It was impossible for a Nobody to feel hunger but this primal desire simmering deep within him had to be the closest feeling to it.

He wanted to devour and own everything of hers that she had to offer.

Destroy her from the inside out.

"Terra, I— _ mmn _ !" Xemnas cut her off mid-sentence when he roughly grabbed her chin and slammed his mouth over hers again, relishing the gasp she made as he did so.

_ Submit _ .

The kiss was powerful in every sense. It spoke of passion, desperation, possession but it was also filled with a pure light as well as a sinful darkness. It was everything Xemnas craved for. So, he ravenously breathed in Aqua's intoxicating scent, drank in her pleasured sighs, and tasted her sweet sorrow. When Xemnas saw the tears start racing from her closed eyes down flushed cheeks, he gently stroked the tears away with his thumb, tracing the wet stains on her smooth skin. In response, she slowly cupped his own face with both hands and that was when he finally let her go.

Their aching lips peeled off each other with great reluctance. While one hand affectionately traced the familiar features of her old friend, Aqua panted against his mouth, whispering breathlessly, "I've always wanted to do that."

Xemnas licked his lips, tasting the remnants of her off himself as he studied how bruised her mouth now looked, thanks to him. He growled quietly at how he was able to leave his mark in some way, though he still yearned to claim her as his in another, more permanent, form.

"Terra," Aqua, still panting from their intense kiss, pressed her forehead lovingly against Xemnas's, "no matter what happens… I will always love you."

"Stay." Xemnas commanded her in an even deeper voice. His hand remained splayed on her bare back while his other continued cupping her cheek. Her tears had yet to dry, and he did not mind wiping them away for her.

"You know I can't, though I wish I could." Aqua laughed bitterly against his mouth. "One day, Ven will wake up—with, or without me. You need to be there for him when that happens, okay? Because I… I don't know if I'll be able to. If you ever do see him, say hi for me."

"You belong with me." Xemnas declared, his mind racing with calculations to somehow make her stay with him—to bind her to him.

"The three of us will always be one." She whispered, more to herself than to him as if it was a reminder of some sorts. Keeping her forehead pressed against his, she murmured, "My heart belongs to you, Terra. Remember… I'm always with you."

He instinctively closed his eyes as her lips brushed with his for another, more tender kiss. He barely had a moment to soak in the sensation of her before the pressure suddenly disappeared. When he opened his eyes, ready to demand more from her, he found the chair void of any person. Whipping around, his golden gaze fell upon the suit of armor, empty of the beautiful woman who had worn it. Her keyblade gleamed against the wall, untouched for years, still eagerly waiting for the day when its master would wield it once more.

Who was she?

" _ Aqua.. _ ." Xemnas said quietly, tasting her name on his tongue, yet it tasted nowhere as sweet as her in person. Slowly, he touched a hand to the seat of the throne, feeling the remnants of the heat she had left behind quickly fade away into the coldness of the chamber. He sat back down on the throne, keeping his eyes trained on the suit of armor, silently ordering it to come back to life once more so that he may see the woman again.

The chamber seemed more quiet than ever, for she had left an aching silence in her wake. Despite this, he could still smell the sweet scent of the ocean breeze, and he remained in the Chamber of Repose, breathing in the remains of her presence. That, and his tender lips were the only signs that she had ever been here and in his arms. He could still remember what she felt like, engrave her scent onto his soul, and paint her beauty in his mind. Those were the memories that belonged  _ solely _ to him. Not to Terra, or to Xehanort but to him, as Xemnas, as his own person. Those could be the memories he could finally treasure for himself.

_ I'm with you. _

"One day," Xemnas pressed a hand against his chest, hoping to soothe the uncomfortable pressure there. "I will set things right."

The cage remained empty of the bluebird that had finally sang back.

* * *

 

"Hey, Zexion!" A cloaked figure slipped out from a Corridor of Darkness.

A black coated man sporting steel-blue bangs that completely covered the right of his face quickened his stride down the long hallway. He did not bother to even glance at his fellow member but, instead, kept walking with his face stuffed in a thick book.

"Zexion, do y'know where the Superior went?" The newly arrived figure continued trailing after the younger man.

"Where else would he be at this time, Xigbar?" Zexion replied with slight irritation laced in his otherwise monotonous voice. "The Chamber of Repose. Now leave me alone."

"Yeah, thought he'd be there!" Xigbar caught up to the sixth member, much to his chagrin. "Except you know what I smelled from him when I met up with him just earlier for a debriefing?"

Zexion sighed, slamming his book close to indicate his impatience. "No, Xigbar, pray tell what the Superior smelled like? Dandelions and darkness?"

"Actually, he smelled really strongly of the ocean." Xigbar answered in a matter-of-fact manner.

"So he went to Destiny Islands." Zexion said with disinterest. "Not unusual, given that that's the home world of that keyblade wielder."

"Nah, it wasn't like Destiny Islands." Xigbar waved his hand dismissively. He paused then, a certain look overcoming his face so that even Zexion stopped in his tracks. "But she smelled familiar…"

"She?" Zexion echoed, his brow tipping up with just the slightest interest.

"Hm, dunno, it must've slipped my mouth." The free shooter shrugged once the thought flitted from his mind. "But I'm telling you, whatever the Superior holds in that secret chamber of his, he must be really in love with it!"

"If you keep trying to press the matter with this, the Superior will not tolerate such intrusion."

"Heh! Is that a threat?"

"A warning." Zexion corrected him before walking away, book covering his face.

For a while, Xigbar remained standing there, staring after his ally's retreating back. A feral grin slowly spread on his face, stretching out the thick scar on his left cheek. "Must be a pretty sweet thing if they can hold the Superior's heart captive. Or as close as a heart could be. One day, I'll find out what his secret is…."


End file.
